t talent of the ages for an insignificant
fee. I hope your prediction will come true, Uncle John."

"It's bound to," he replied, with confidence. "I've read somewhere that
Edison and others have been working on these lines for years, and
although they haven't succeeded yet, anything possible in mechanics is
bound to be produced in time."

CHAPTER IV

AUNT JANE'S NIECES

The picture, which was entitled "The Sacrifice," proved--to use Patsy's
words--"a howling success." On Monday afternoons the little theatres are
seldom crowded, so Mr. Merrick's party secured choice seats where they
could observe every detail of the photography. The girls could not wait
for a later performance, so eager were they to see themselves in a motion
picture, nor were they disappointed to find they were a mere incident in
the long roll of film.

The story of the photo-play was gripping in its intensity, and since Mr.
Werner had clearly explained the lesson it conveyed, they followed the
plot with rapt attention. In the last scene their entrance and exit was
transitory, but they were obliged to admit that their features were
really expressive of fear. The next instant the wall fell, burying its
victims, and this rather bewildered them when they remembered that fully
half an hour had elapsed while the dummies were being placed in position,
the real people removed from danger and preparations made to topple over
the wall from the inside of the building. But the camera had been
inactive during that period and so cleverly had the parts of the picture
been united that no pause whatever was observable to the spectators.

"My! what a stuffy place," exclaimed Louise, as they emerged into the
light of day. "I cannot understand why it is necessary to have these
moving picture theatres so gloomy and uncomfortable."

"It isn't necessary," replied Uncle John. "It's merely a habit the
builders have acquired. There seemed to be a total lack of ventilation in
that place."

"No one expects much for ten cents," Arthur reminded him. "If the
pictures are good the public will stand for anything in the matter of
discomfort."

"Did you notice," said Patsy, slowly, "how many children there were in
that theatre?"

"Yes, indeed," answered Beth. "The pictures seem to be an ideal
amusement for children. I do not suppose they can understand all the
dramas and love stories, but the pictures entertain them, whatever the
theme may be."

"They are not allo